Improvement in oil-ejectors



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NITED STATES EErcE.

PATENT IMPROVEMENT IN OIL-EJECTORS.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. Il?, Mig, dated'AprilI1, 1.865.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that we, GEORGE L. WrrsiL and EDWARD BURKE, of the city andcounty of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new andImproved Air Injector, Comp ressor, and Exha-uster for Coal-Oil lVells,and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reti erence being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification, in

which- Figure l is an elevation of our improved ap paratus arranged foruse. Fig. 2 shows in dctail the application of the cam fo operating thecompressing and exhausting apparatus. Fig. 3 is a view in detail showingthe application of valves to tlre pipes leading into and ont oftheoil-well.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in the threefigures.

It not unfrequently happens that oil-wells cease to eject up oil afterflowing for a short time. VW'hen this occurs, and it is ascertained thatsuch wells contain oil in abundance, but

at considerable depths. in the earth, contrivances are applied forforcing the oil up to the surface.

The object of' our invention is to apply an artificial pressure upon theoil in wells where the natural pressure is exhausted, by means of f auapparatus, which is so constructed that a powerful upward pressure isapplied to force the oil to the surface at the same time that a partialvacuum is produced in the dischargel pipe above the oil, as will behereinafter de scribed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make 'and use our invention, wcwill describe its coustruction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l, A rcps resents a strongframe-work, which is erected over a well from which it is desired toobtain oil.

B represents a lever, which is pivoted at one end of frame A, and whichiselevated by a two-throw cam, a, that is keyed to a trans` versedriving-shaft, C, carrying on one end a belt-wheel, C. The lever Bissuitably connected to a bellows, D, or compressing-pump ot' any suitabledescription, and it is also connected to the piston -rod of anexhaustingf pump, E. A weight, c, is suspended to au l arm projectingfrom the bellows D, for the purpose ot' bringing the lever B down verysuddenly when released by the cam a. Other plans may be adopted fordepressing the lever B or elevating this lever.

The exhausting-pump E is so constructed that as its piston rises it willallow the oil forced up through the discharge-pipe to flow freely fromthe nozzle (Z, as represented in Fig. i l. At the contracted base ot'the exhausting I pump E a pipe, F, is suitably attached, which pipeleads down into the oil-well, and has its i lowest extremity submergedin the oil. To l the nozzle ofthe compressing-pump or injector D a pipe,(i, is suitably attached, which leads down into the oil iu the well, audhas its lowermost extremity turned upward, as shown in Figs. l and 3.

H represents a plug or packing of indiarubber or other suitablematerial, which is forced down into the well a suitable distance, so asto effectually close it, and thus prevent either oil or air fromescaping upward outside of the induction and eduction pipes F and G. Itis desirable to locate said plug as near the l bot-tom'of thedischarge-pipe as possible. XVe apply to the inductionpipe G- a numberof I valves ofanysuitable description, all of which I open downward, andallow air which is forcedi through this pipe or hollow shaft to passdownl ward, but close against said air and prevent j it from escapingback. XVe employ a number ol' valves, r/,arranged i within pipe G atsuitable intervals apart for l the purpose ot' trapping the column ofair in i said pipe and keeping it there. The discharge pipe F is alsoprovided with a number of valves, j', arranged one above the other andall opening upward,for the purpose of allowi' ing ot' a free ascent ofthe oil and preventing l it from flowing back into the well. i Theoperation of forcing oil out of a well is as follows: The driving-shaft@is set in motion by any convenient prime motor, and the cani a on saidshaft gives a rapid vibrating Il motion to thelever B, which, beingconnected to l the exhausting pump E and compressing pump D,starts thesepumps to work. At thelever B is thrown up air is drawn into thecompressing-pump and' exhausted from the discharge-pipe Fsimultaneously, and as the leverBis suddenly depressed air is forceddown into the well below the plug or packing H, at the same time thepiston of the (airpump) exhaustingpurnp is depressed. continuing theoperation of the pumps a pressure equal to a number of atmospheres willbe brought to act upon the oil in the well, and when this pressurebecomes sufticient the oil will be forced upward through thedischarge-pipe F into the exhauster, and thence flow from its nozzleinto suitable reservoirs for its collection.

By reference to Fig. 2 ofthe drawings it will be seen that the lowerextremity of the air or inlet pipe G, which communicates with thecondenser D, is turned upward beneath the lower extremity of thedischarge-pipe F, the object of which is to cause the currents of inAilowing air to act upward against the column of oil in the pipe F. I

By means ofthe exhaustingpump we produce a partial vacuum in thedischargepipe, and thus remove to a considerable extent thesuperincumbent pressure upon the oil in this pipe and give greater forceto the compressed air in the welll. XVe, in fact, force air into thewell and pump the oil out by means of a single lever receiving a rapidvibrating motion.

Ifdesirable,the connection between the compressing-pump and its pipe maybe made ilexible; but for all ordinary purposes arigid connection willbe found to answer a very good purpose.

The lever B may be pivoted in the center to its frame A, so that bothends will vibrate, in which case the compressor will be connected pumpto the other arm. By such an arrangement the air in pipe F will beexhausted simultaneously with the iuiinx ot' air into the well.

\Ve do not claim the principle of raising oil l `from wells by air orsteam, said principle bel ing employed by means different from thoseshown by us; neither do we wish to be understood as making a distinctionbetween oil and water in the application of our particular means forraising and discharging these uids from wells; but

Vhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination ot' condensing and cxhausting pumps in conjunctionwith induction and Ieduction pipes arranged within an oilt well,substantially as and for the purposes de- A scribed.

2. Connecting both the exhausting and compressing engines to a leverwhich receives a rapid vibrating motion, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

Witness our hands in the matter of our application for a patent forimproved air injector, condenser, and exhauster for coal-oil wells.

l! to one arm of this lever and the exhausting- -l l GEO. L. VITSIL.

EDWD. BURKE.

Vitnesses:

B. T. CAMPBELL, E. Sor-ninna.

